Motor-vehicle.



N0. 690M). Patented Dec. 3|, l90l.

W. J. & G. LANE.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

(Application filed Feb. 25, 1901.)

FIGLL'.

INVENTORS ATT RNEY m5 wonms PEYERS co. PHOTO-LITHQ. wAsmNoTo. a. c.

No. 69mm Patented Dec. 3|, 1901.

w. J. & 6. LANE.

MOTOR VEHICLE. (Application filed Feb. 25, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

. v wrmw U TT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM JAMES LANE AND GEORGE LANE, OF POUGIIKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE LANE MOTOR VEHICLE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NE\V JERSEY.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 690,160, dated December 31, 1901. Application filed February 25, 1901. Serial No. 48,791. (No modell To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM JAMES LANE and GEORGE LANE, citizens of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, county of Dutchess, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in M0- tor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to motor-vehicles of the type adapted to be operated by steam.

Our invention consists in a special construction of the running-gear for motor-vehicles, whereby the frame is materially strengthened and greater flexibility obtained both in the frame and between the frame and the body of the vehicle upon which the motordevice is secured.

Our invention further consists in various details of construction of the frame, the vehicle-body, the arrangement of the motor device relative to the body and the runninggear, and the means for adjusting the motor device relative to the running-gear and to the steering mechanism of the vehicle, all of which will be set forth in the specification and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of our invention is to construct a motor-vehicle which will be suitable for use over country roads and which will require little care and attention on the part of the operator.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate our invention, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with a portion of the carriage-bodyin section and a portion of the boiler broken away to show the location of the air-tank. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation and section through the water-tank. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the device for adjusting the motor relative to the rear axle.

Our invention is shown in the accompanying drawings as embodied in a two-seated vehicle adapted to carry four persons. We wish it understood, however, that we do not limit ourselves to the employment of a vehicle of the type described, as our various improvements in running-gear and attachments for motor-vehicles may be embodied and used in various types of motor-vehicles and similar apparatus.

In the drawings, 10 indicates the supporting-frame as a whole; 11, the body of the vehicle; 12, the boiler, located under the front seat; 13, a burner situated under the boiler; 14, a water-tank located under the rear seat; 15, a steam-engine suspended below the body of the vehicle; 16, compensating gear on rear axle; 17, a sprocket chain passing over sprocket on compensating gear on rear axle and sprocket of engine 15; 18, a device for adjusting the motor relative to the rear axle; 19, a fuel-supply tank; 20, an air-tank; 21, a starting-lever, and 22 a reversinglever.

The body of the vehicle, whatever its form, is elastically supported on the frame 10, the general features of construction of which are best shown in Fig. 2. The frame is tubular and consists of the support for the front axle 7o 23, the support for the rear axle 24, the reach 25, and the transverse brace 26. The support for the front axle is provided with the bifurcated ends 27, Fig. 3, in which are pivoted the separate axles 28 of the forward Wheels 29. The support for the rear axle is formed as a tube 21 and carries the rear axle and is turned at its center toward the front of the vehicle to form the rectangular portion 24, which occupies the same horizontal plane as the tube 24. The rectangular portion 24F is connected to the reach-tubes 25 through the transverse brace 26, and the reach-tubes 25 are pivoted at 25 to the support 23 for the front axles.

50 indicates the rear axle. The rear axle is carried in the tube 24, but is bare at the openingoftherectangularportion24c. Upon that portion of the axle 30 which is not included in the tube 24: is mounted the compeno sating sprocket-wheel 31 and band-wheel 32.

By reason of the peculiar construction of the support for the rear axle great strength is given to the frame. There is also provided a convenient point of support for one end of the compensating device 18 and for the operating-lever of the band-brake 31, which is thrown into and out of operation through the rod 35, connected to the foot-lever 36 on the forward part of the vehicle.

In order to take up the slack due to the wear of the sprocket-chain 17, as also to com pensate for the vertical movement of the sprocket-wheel of the engine relative to the sprocket-wheel on the rear axle, we introduce between the engine-frame and the transverse brace 26 acompensating device 18. Thecompensating device consists of the extensible rods 37, connected at one end to the engine 15 and at the other end provided wit-h the forked extensions 38, Fig. 5, each fork carrying a transverse pin 39. The pins 39 have their bearings in the cavities 40 of the sectors 41, which are mounted upon the transverse brace 26. As the body of the vehicle moves upon its springs vertically the pins 39 alternately find their bearings in the cavities 40 of the sectors 41, and by this means the sprocketohain 17 is kept taut.

The guiding of the carriage is accomplished by means of the lever 42, which is pivoted to the inclined rod 43, carried in the bearings 4E4, secured to the body of the vehicle. The inclined rod is bent at right angles backward and pivotally connected to the transverse rod 45, which in turn is connected through the levers 46, secured to the end of the vertical portions of the forward axles 28. Movement of the lever 42 to the right or left producesa corresponding transverse movement of the rod 45, and hence a turning movement of the axles 28. i i In the foregoing specification we have generally described the construction of the running gear of our improved motor-vehicle. VVe'wish it understood that we do not consider ourselves limited to the exact features of construction shown and described, as it is evident that many changes may be made which will embody the intent of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we

I claim 1. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the supporting-frame, a vehicle-body, a motor device suspended from and below said body, a sprocket-wheel on the driving-shaft of the motor device, a sprocket-wheel on one axle, a sprocket-chain for connecting the two Sprocketwhecls, and a device for adjusting the distance between the sprocket-wheels.

2. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the supporting-frame, a vehicle-body, a mofor device suspended from and below the body and angularly disposed as regards said body, a sprocket-wheel on the driving-shaft of the motor device, a sprocket-wheel on one axle, a sprocket-chain connecting the said sprocket-wheels, and a device for adjusting the distance between the sprocket-wheels.

3. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the supporting-frame, an elastically-suspended vehicle-body, a motor device pivotally suspended below said body, a sprocket-wheel carriedby said motor device, a sprocket-wheel on one axle, a chain connecting the sprocketwheels, and a device for adjusting the difference between the sprocket-wheels.

4. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the supporting-frame and the driving mechanism carried by said frame, an elasticallysupported vehicle-body, and a pivoted motor supported on and below said body, coacting with said driving mechanism on said supportin g-frame.

5. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the supporting-frame,an elastically-suspended vehicle-body, a motor device suspended from and below said body, driving mechanism carried on the supporting-frame, and a power transmission device interposed between said motor device and said driving mechanism.

6. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the supporting-frame, independent pivoted axles carried by the forward member of said frame, wheels freely revoluble on said axles, a single axle carried within the straight portions of the rear member of said frame,wl1ee1s secured to the ends of said axle, a sprocket mounted upon said axle, a vehicle-body, a motor device suspended from and below said vehicle-body, a sprocket-wheel mounted on the driving-shaft of said motor device, and

a sprocket-chain connecting said sprocketwheels.

- 7. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the supporting-frame, driving mechanism on said frame, a vehicle-body, a motor device suspended from and below said vehicle-body, and a power-transmission device between said motor device and the driving mechanism on said frame, whereby the power exhibited by the motor will be transmitted in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said vehicle.

8. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the supporting-frame, driving mechanism on said frame, a vehicle body, a motor device suspended from and below said vehicle-body, a sprocket-wheel on the driving-shaft of said motor device having its axis of revolution located in a plane parallel to and approximating that of the axis of revolution of the sprocket-wheel on the rear axle, and a flexi= ble power-transmission device interposed between said sprocket-wheels.

9. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the supporting frame, driving mechanism thereon, an elastically suspended vehiclebody, a motor device suspended from and below the body, and a flexible power-transmission device between said motor device and said driving mechanism on frame, whereby the power exerted by the motor device car ried by the vehicle body will be exerted through the driving mechanism on the vehicle-frame in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame.

10. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a supporting-framadriving mechanism thereon, a vehicle-body, a motor device suspended from and below said body and adapted to exert its power at an angle to said body, and a power-transmission device between said motor device and said driving mechanism,-

whereby the power of the angularly-disposed motor will be exhibited through the driving mechanism in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

11. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with a vehicle-body, of a steam-engine suspended from and below the body, said steamengine arranged at an angle with its cylinders near to the body and its driving-shaft in a plane approximating that occupied by the axis of the driving-axle of said vehicle.

12. In a motor Vehicle, the combination with the running-gear, of an angularly-disposed reciprocating motor device, and powertransmission means between the drivingshaft of motor device and the driving mechanism of the running-gear,whereby the shocks due to the reciprocation of the motor device will be transmitted at an angle to the vertical axis and the power exhibited by the motor device transmitted along the longitudinal axis of said vehicle.

13. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the running-gear and body, of a watertank and boiler carried by the body, a steamengine carried below the body and at an angle to the body, and power-transmission means between the engine and the rear axle of the vehicle.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM JAMES LANE. GEORGE LANE. WVitnesses:

J. E. PEARSON, R. GERBRAOHT, J r. 

